Bengaluru: After several days of passing the all-important Citizenship Amendment Bill by both houses of the Indian Parliament and the President Ram Nath Kovind giving his assent to the Bill, thereby making it a law, several non-NDA and non-BJP chief ministers have openly said they would not implement the law in their states. 

Addressing a presser today, National BJP General Secretary Anil Jain, in this regard, said, “Any statement to that effect of not implementing the CAA means disrespecting the Constitution, the Office of President as well as the Parliament.” 

Coming down heavily on Congress President Rahul Gandhi for using “intemperate and indecent language” against the Prime Minister, Jain said, Rahul Gandhi ought to know that he is addressing the Prime Minister who has been elected by the people in due democratic process. 

“We are not against criticising per se but one should be careful and responsible in using the language especially against the Prime Minister,” the BJP general secretary added.
Dr Jain said that the Congress and other Opposition parties tried to create confusion among the people in general and minorities in particular but failed and now the country’s oldest party has taken up the issue of NPR.

“Actually, the Congress is bankrupt of issues to take on the Prime Minister and the BJP government. The NPR, a statutory requirement, was first initiated by the UPA government in 2010 as it is pre-requisite for the Census that was conducted in 2011. The next census is due in 2021 and prior to that Census, NPR is being carried out. There is no connection between the NRC and NPR,” Anil Jain explained.

Asserting that the CAA is aimed at providing Citizenship to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists,Jains, Parsis and Christians, who constitute minority in three Islamic Republics of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, Jain reiterated that the CAA will not take away anybody’s citizenship.

“All 130 crore Indians, irrespective of their community, religion, caste and creed, are safe. None of their citizenship will be taken away,” he said.

In response to a question on NRC, Dr Jain said, “NRC has not yet come into picture. When it comes, there will be guidelines. It will be debated at that time. It is not correct to discuss what is not in front of us. NPR is a regular exercise done before the Census and had this (NPR) has nothing to do with the NCR.”